Marc Wouters

2022

With the continuous data volume increase, we observe rapid developments in information technology. The areas of applications are broad. However, a core aspect of big data and data analytics has always been to support assumptions, identify patterns or predict trends. As such, it has clear links to managerial accounting, which is the primary support for decision-making in an organization. While conceptual studies started highlighting possible emerging big data applications in the management accounting context early, there is scarce evidence of companies implementing them. This paper firstly identifies the prevailing concepts indicated by the literature. Further, it provides insights into current big data applications in
management accounting for a major automobile manufacturer while emphasizing
how data and its analytics contribute to improved decision-making.